Spring colour inside and out.

Spring is definitely here!

 A photo taken on my way to work, at last some bright sunshine. Hopefully a sign of warmer, drier  days to come.

Yes! Rrrrip it out!

 This horrid carpet has probably been lying here for 40 years. Super ugly!!
When I have a migraine, (and I've had 3 of the blasted things in the last month,) I actually have to shield my eyes because the pattern is just too much.
It was thankfully not glued down, but just nailed at the edges. Now we can see what we have been guessing is underneath it.

And look at the floor underneath!

 Wow... Wow! The original matai hardwood floor.
What were they thinking....
But very dark red, and that is the shellac coating that was used to seal the wood.

Look at that colour... 

The wallpaper is a fresh light blue with a green tint. Slightly minty.
It reminds me of an early summer morning at the beach. Or the colour of a songbirds' egg.
And I love love love it....

The light has changed in this room.

 It isn't finished yet, this workroom to be, but soon. Soon...

By the way that darkness in the other room you can see? It is an expanse of the same dark bricks, right up to the ceiling. See how it swallows up the light!
 I guess in the 70's they thought it was a stunning and modern feature.

Horrible bits hiding under the carpet.

 Some carpet needs to be kept in this room, because this part used to be a hallway, and they did terrible things to the floorboards; replaced it with pine particle-board and we can also feel concrete!
 At some later stage that will all be replaced by new carpet.

 And a last Spring greeting for you!

Blossoms.

Still more housework...

Another update on our dining room/ workroom. The last report was on the new macho hammerdrill, which worked a treat...
A "tent"to limit dust was built around the fireplace, and the brick facade was knocked down.

 The front hearth stone came out fairly easily, and the terracotta bricks had to be hacked back to level them with the wall.

 The opening was then filled up with insulation, the old bricks and foam.

New board went over it and it was plastered over.
All gone!

The window frames were sanded down to the timbre, and freshly re-painted.

The hollow that the removed hearthstone left, was re-planked with salvaged matai planks. You can't really buy newly milled matai anymore as it is a protected tree species now, but half a century ago that's what people liked to use to build their houses with. The salvaged timbre from a demolition was quite expensive...

The wallpaper is now stripped off (goodbye to all that beige! ). The walls have been lightly sanded and have been sealed.

And now comes a really exciting bit; the new wallpaper goes up!!
His mum taught him well, and he really liked doing this part.
To Be Continued.......